Comments on: “This was not typical of the way schedule changes are routinely handled here” http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Z http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25728 David Z Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:26:16 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25728 @Ben - YMMV. Your Mileage May Vary. @Ben – YMMV. Your Mileage May Vary.

]]> By: Ben http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25681 Ben Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:06:13 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25681 Wouldn't it have been worthwhile to spend an extra $50 to retain the services and expertise of a travel professional? Wouldn’t it have been worthwhile to spend an extra $50 to retain the services and expertise of a travel professional?

]]> By: Linda Snow http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25665 Linda Snow Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:07:27 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25665 I agree that booking directly with the airline is safer - use the online agents to search, then go to the airline to book. However this sometimes doesn't work. I was arranging a trip about a year ago and my desired itinerary showed up on Travelocity for Delta. When I went to Delta's website the flights just weren't there. Don't know why. So I had to take my chances with Travelocity. Calling Delta to ask wouldn't work - they charge you extra to book over the phone. I agree that booking directly with the airline is safer – use the online agents to search, then go to the airline to book. However this sometimes doesn’t work. I was arranging a trip about a year ago and my desired itinerary showed up on Travelocity for Delta. When I went to Delta’s website the flights just weren’t there. Don’t know why. So I had to take my chances with Travelocity. Calling Delta to ask wouldn’t work – they charge you extra to book over the phone.

]]> By: Jim J http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25607 Jim J Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:24:24 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25607 I agree with the other posters who expressed the opinion that there is no need to deal with an intermediary company when purchasing air travel online. There is nothing that these companies can do to benefit you and dealing through them does create another layer of bureaucracy where things can go wrong. If you need help from a travel agent, find a good brick and mortar agency in your community. Yes, you will probably pay a fee, but having someone act as an intermediary between you and the travel provider can make the fee a good investment. Had Christina Mather booked her trip through a real travel agent, it is very likely that the tickets would have been promptly issued and that they would have been reissued due to the schedule change. Christina would have been spared much agrivation and Chris Elliott would not have had to get involved. I agree with the other posters who expressed the opinion that there is no need to deal with an intermediary company when purchasing air travel online. There is nothing that these companies can do to benefit you and dealing through them does create another layer of bureaucracy where things can go wrong. If you need help from a travel agent, find a good brick and mortar agency in your community. Yes, you will probably pay a fee, but having someone act as an intermediary between you and the travel provider can make the fee a good investment. Had Christina Mather booked her trip through a real travel agent, it is very likely that the tickets would have been promptly issued and that they would have been reissued due to the schedule change. Christina would have been spared much agrivation and Chris Elliott would not have had to get involved.

]]> By: Joe Farrell http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25517 Joe Farrell Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:07:41 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25517 Why call Expedia? Call the airline to confirm whether the reservation is present or not. THEN call expedia. If you call Expedia you get to deal with a bunch of script readers who know nothing - and ultimately can transfer you to someone in the USA who does have a clue. I have yet to figure out what to say at the outset to simply get to someone in the USA. Maybe press 2 for spanish . . . probably not a lot of spanish speakers on the subcontinent . . . Why call Expedia? Call the airline to confirm whether the reservation is present or not. THEN call expedia. If you call Expedia you get to deal with a bunch of script readers who know nothing – and ultimately can transfer you to someone in the USA who does have a clue. I have yet to figure out what to say at the outset to simply get to someone in the USA. Maybe press 2 for spanish . . . probably not a lot of spanish speakers on the subcontinent . . .

]]> By: Annie http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25506 Annie Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:03:53 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25506 I feel Expedia is sort of a hit or miss. I've had many good experiences (when Hurricane Wilma hit, our Mexico trip was fully refunded with no questions asked, even though it was considered out of the government's recommended time frame. Then there was the time when I booked my Tahiti honeymoon tickets, the international flight as well as the inter-island flights with Expedia, and they called me back right away to notify me that the inter-island flights were "not properly updated" and that there was no availability, yet they refused to refund me the $14/ticket booking fee -- when no tickets were even booked. After many calls to rude representatives and no direct contact with any accountable supervisors, I had to pull the Better Business Bureau in. It was not the amount, but the principle. I feel Expedia is sort of a hit or miss. I’ve had many good experiences (when Hurricane Wilma hit, our Mexico trip was fully refunded with no questions asked, even though it was considered out of the government’s recommended time frame.

Then there was the time when I booked my Tahiti honeymoon tickets, the international flight as well as the inter-island flights with Expedia, and they called me back right away to notify me that the inter-island flights were “not properly updated” and that there was no availability, yet they refused to refund me the $14/ticket booking fee — when no tickets were even booked. After many calls to rude representatives and no direct contact with any accountable supervisors, I had to pull the Better Business Bureau in. It was not the amount, but the principle.

]]> By: Justin http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25504 Justin Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:26:17 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25504 My 2 cents: 1) Why does it take Chris Elliott to call to get this fixed? Is Expedia not able to fix it's own problems? 2) Big freaking deal Expedia paid the difference. SHE BOUGHT THE TRIP and paid for it, rightfully. Expedia did NOTHING to rectify its mistake. NOTHING at all for the customer. SHE BOUGHT the ticket, it screwed up. It only did what it was legally obligated to do! Expedia owes this woman an apology and a travel voucher. Justin My 2 cents:

1) Why does it take Chris Elliott to call to get this fixed? Is Expedia not able to fix it’s own problems?

2) Big freaking deal Expedia paid the difference. SHE BOUGHT THE TRIP and paid for it, rightfully. Expedia did NOTHING to rectify its mistake. NOTHING at all for the customer. SHE BOUGHT the ticket, it screwed up. It only did what it was legally obligated to do!

Expedia owes this woman an apology and a travel voucher.

Justin

]]> By: Carver Farrow http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25503 Carver Farrow Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:17:59 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25503 @David Z Why say it with regret. Say it loudly and proudly. Book directly!!! I am a strong proponent of cutting out the middle man and booking directly with the travel provider. The vast majority of Chris' cases seem to be with middle men. I figure being stranded once would more than cancel out any potential savings I would get by booking through 3rd party sites. @David Z

Why say it with regret. Say it loudly and proudly. Book directly!!! I am a strong proponent of cutting out the middle man and booking directly with the travel provider. The vast majority of Chris’ cases seem to be with middle men.

I figure being stranded once would more than cancel out any potential savings I would get by booking through 3rd party sites.

]]> By: David Z http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25498 David Z Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:04:12 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25498 From reading whatever specifics on this case, it's Expedia's fault because of how one of their agents handled it. It's possible there might not be any problems if their agents did it "properly" early on, but...who knows? With issues like this, I regret to say this is one time it's indeed better to book direct with the airline rather than a third party. Just that at certain times, it's cheaper (and sometimes not worth the eventual hassles) to book through the latter. From reading whatever specifics on this case, it’s Expedia’s fault because of how one of their agents handled it. It’s possible there might not be any problems if their agents did it “properly” early on, but…who knows?

With issues like this, I regret to say this is one time it’s indeed better to book direct with the airline rather than a third party. Just that at certain times, it’s cheaper (and sometimes not worth the eventual hassles) to book through the latter.

]]> By: Dave http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25495 Dave Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:17:24 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25495 I've read, enjoyed, and learned from the various travel blogs for years. Way too many times I've read the story: "Airline: It's Expedia's fault. Talk to them." "Expedia: It's the airline's fault. Talk to them." (Or insert the online agent of your choice.) So I never book with those online agencies. Why do so, when you can book directly with the airline, for no more money and way more accountability? I'd be extremely interested in Chris's or Expedia's response to this. I’ve read, enjoyed, and learned from the various travel blogs for years. Way too many times I’ve read the story: “Airline: It’s Expedia’s fault. Talk to them.” “Expedia: It’s the airline’s fault. Talk to them.” (Or insert the online agent of your choice.) So I never book with those online agencies. Why do so, when you can book directly with the airline, for no more money and way more accountability? I’d be extremely interested in Chris’s or Expedia’s response to this.

]]> By: Lisa S http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25494 Lisa S Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:47:36 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25494 I would like to know why the customer is the one who experiences problems when companies decide to make changes and third-party companies provide poor customer service? If an airline is going to make changes, it should be a simple matter of the airline contacting the customer and saying, "We have made some changes to the flight and want to make sure that they do not inconvenience you..." Then the airline employee explains what the company want to do and works with the customer to make sure the trip is not blown. People get upset because they are constantly robbed, abused, and exploited by companies. Moreover, it seems people often have no recourse and need to Chris involved to resolve abominable abuses. If a customer said one month before the flight, "I have changed my mind," that customer wouldn't get their money back (unless of course they paid for a refundable ticket). Why do businesses have the ability to make whatever changes they want with no cost to them while the consumer loses hours of his/her life trying to correct the situation, loses part or all of her/his vacation, or has to pay additional money ? Oh, I just remembered the answer: That is the way the system is set up! Pity that businesses have more rights than consumers. I would like to know why the customer is the one who experiences problems when companies decide to make changes and third-party companies provide poor customer service? If an airline is going to make changes, it should be a simple matter of the airline contacting the customer and saying, “We have made some changes to the flight and want to make sure that they do not inconvenience you…” Then the airline employee explains what the company want to do and works with the customer to make sure the trip is not blown. People get upset because they are constantly robbed, abused, and exploited by companies. Moreover, it seems people often have no recourse and need to Chris involved to resolve abominable abuses. If a customer said one month before the flight, “I have changed my mind,” that customer wouldn’t get their money back (unless of course they paid for a refundable ticket). Why do businesses have the ability to make whatever changes they want with no cost to them while the consumer loses hours of his/her life trying to correct the situation, loses part or all of her/his vacation, or has to pay additional money ?

Oh, I just remembered the answer: That is the way the system is set up! Pity that businesses have more rights than consumers.

]]> By: Aravind http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25493 Aravind Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:43:54 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25493 Hotels.com (essentially expedia) customer service has really gone awry. While making a recent hotel reservation at Gatlinburg I couldnt really reach a proper english speaking rep & no one would connect me with a supervisor. This is starkly different from the experiences I had last year when things were handled much better. And finally I couldnt use the coupon hotels.com had sent me for one of my previous reservations. Hotels.com (essentially expedia) customer service has really gone awry.
While making a recent hotel reservation at Gatlinburg I couldnt really reach a proper english speaking rep & no one would connect me with a supervisor. This is starkly different from the experiences I had last year when things were handled much better. And finally I couldnt use the coupon hotels.com had sent me for one of my previous reservations.

]]> By: barbie45 http://www.elliott.org/blog/this-was-not-typical-of-the-way-schedule-changes-are-routinely-handled-here/comment-page-1/#comment-25489 barbie45 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:46:04 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=8974#comment-25489 I seriously wonder about thequality of workerthe big three hire; I know I have had unpleasant stays due to incompetency of hotel.com workers; now i realize mistakes happen but gee why do I see so many; maybe you are better off booking direct and eliminating the third party. I seriously wonder about thequality of workerthe big three hire; I know I have had unpleasant stays due to incompetency of hotel.com workers; now i realize mistakes happen but gee why do I see so many; maybe you are better off booking direct and eliminating the third party.

]]>